japan

Below is our DIY itinerary of our trip to Northern Kyushu in Japan last month. Folks planning a similar route might find it useful. It’s useful to rent a pocket Wi-Fi device while in Japan; I recommend getting one from CDJapan.

Don’t have a Japanese visa yet? Click here to read my experience on applying for one at the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines.

We took the Fukuoka City Subway from Fukuoka Airport to Hakata Station. We chose Hotel Centraza Hakata for its convenient location — it’s directly connected to Hakata Station and a 5-minute walk to Hakata Bus Terminal, where we will catch a Kyushu Express Bus to Nagasaki the next day. We bought our tickets in advance at the terminal that evening, as the seats are reserved.

We took the subway to Ohori Park Station and walked to Fukuoka Castle, but we didn’t stay long as it began to snow. My husband W. and I are into Pokémon GO, so of course we had to drop by the Pokémon Center at the 8th floor of AMU PLAZA HAKATA, a shopping mall which is conveniently connected to Hakata Station. After lunch, we took a quick walk to Hakata Bus Terminal to catch our bus. Upon arrival in front of Nagasaki Station, we took the Nagasaki Electric Tramway to our AirBnB. From there, it is a short stroll to Hamanmachi, a shopping arcade where we bought our pasalubong at the infamous discount store Don Quijote.

We spent the entire day at HUIS TEN BOSCH, a theme park recreation of the Netherlands located in nearby Sasebo. We started early and caught the Seaside Liner train from Nagasaki Station to Huis Ten Bosch Station.

Tired from all the walking we did the previous day at the enormous HUIS TEN BOSCH, we started out late to Glover Garden. We took the tram to Ishibashi Station and then rode the Glover Sky Road, an elevator service that takes you up the hillside to the second gate of Glover Garden. Their Dutch coffee at Jiyu-Tei is highly recommended. We exited through the first gate and then took the tram to Nigiwaibashi Station, which is a stone’s throw away from the picturesque Megane Bridge.

We took the tram to Matsuyamamachi Station to visit the atomic bomb sites. After lunch, we took the tram again to Morimachi Station to unwind at MIRAI NAGASAKI COCOWALK, a shopping mall with a ferris wheel on the roof. Shortly before sunset, we took a taxi to the observation deck at the peak of Mt Inasa, which offers an amazing view of the city. We went back down via the Nagasaki Ropeway after having a scenic dinner at Hikari Restaurant.

View of Nagasaki City from the observatory at the top of Mt Inasa

Day 5Afternoon

Bus ride to Fukuoka

Evening

Fly out

We took the tram from our AirBnB to Nagasaki Prefectural Bus Terminal, which is right across the street from Nagasaki Station. Again, we rode the Kyushu Express Bus, which conveniently stops at the Fukuoka Airport International Terminal.

Update February 2017: I applied for a tourist visa again earlier this month. This time, I did it in person at Dusit Thani Manila, as I happened to be in the area. There are actually three accredited agencies which have offices at the hotel: Universal Holidays at the mezzanine, and Reli Tours & Travel and Friendship Tours and Resorts opposite each other on the third floor. I went with Friendship, and it was very quick — I submitted on Thursday afternoon, and my visa was issued the next day, Friday. On Monday afternoon, Friendship messaged me that my passport was ready for pick-up. Their service charge is PHP 1,200, which is more expensive than Discovery’s (see below), but all in all I am quite satisfied with their service.

Filipinos need a visa to enter Japan. For the purpose of tourism, visa applications must be submitted through the few travel agencies accredited by the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines. The fee for a temporary visitor visa is actually free, but the agencies charge quite pricey handling fees, rendering the whole “free” thing moot.

After some due diligence on the accredited agencies, I chose to submit my tourist visa application through Discovery Tour because their service charge is the cheapest at PHP 800, compared to the other agencies who charge as much as PHP 2,000 (!). Discovery Tour also accepts applications via courier, which is very convenient for provincial applicants.

This guide is based on my own application for a tourist visa last month, and may not apply to other types of visas and non-Filipino residents of the Philippines.

1. Prepare the required documents

The following documents are the official requirements of the Japanese embassy for a tourist visa without a Japanese guarantor:

Philippine passport. Passport must have at least two (2) blank pages.

Completed Japan visa application form. The application form can be downloaded here. It is a fillable PDF file onto which you can type your answers directly before printing. One (1) photo must be pasted on the designated area; click here for specifications.

Certificate of Live Birth. Birth certificate must be issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) within one (1) year from the date of application. In case of non-record, the certification from the PSA must be submitted together with a certified true copy of the birth certificate issued by the Local Civil Registry Office. NOTE: Applicants with used Japanese visas are exempt from submitting this requirement.

Latest Income Tax Return. If submitting via courier, a photocopy will suffice. Do not send the original as submitted documents will not be returned.

In addition to the above requirements, the Japanese embassy encourages the submission of more supporting documents that demonstrate that the applicant is a genuine temporary visitor. As it was my first time to apply for a Japan visa, I also submitted the following for good measure:

Copies of valid and expired visas to other territories, including US, Schengen, and Australian visas

Copies of credit card statements from the past three (3) months

Copies of confirmed round-trip tickets and hotel reservations

2. Pay the service charge

As mentioned previously, I chose to apply through Discovery Tour. I deposited their PHP 800 service charge, along with the delivery fee of PHP 300 (for sending my passport back to me via courier) to their account at BDO Unibank:

Account name: Discovery Tour Inc
Account number: 001230086666

I then sent a picture of the deposit slip to their email japanvisamnl1@discoverytour.ph. Discovery Tour replied promptly, albeit very curtly with a one-word response, “noted” (lack of business etiquette much?).

3. Send the application

I submitted my documents to their main office in Makati City via courier:

I included shipping insurance, which doesn’t cost that much, just in case. A representative of theirs called me to confirm their receipt of my application.

4. Wait

After only a few days, the rep called me again to inform me that my passport will now be sent back to me via courier.

5. Receive passport

I got my passport back around a week after I sent it off. However, the delivery receipt shows that it was sent without insurance, so I wasn’t too happy about that. Still, I got my Japan visa, so all’s well that ends well.

All in all, I had an okay experience with Discovery Tour. I do suggest to request for shipping insurance when applying through them.